House Passes English-Only Bill

* Re “House OKs English-Only Legislation,” Aug. 2:

So we need to declare English as the official language of the United States as a means of encouraging immigrants to learn English? Immigrants already know this. That is why the adult immigrants I have taught came to English class for three hours, at least twice a week, after working 10 to 12 hours a day. They know that the more English they learn, the greater the job opportunities. That is why the parents of immigrant children in my classes push their kids to excel in school. They know education and learning English are vital.

So let’s be honest about the real agenda here. With all the real problems in this country, isn’t it time to stop using immigrants to further political agendas?

SANDRA WARWICK

Santa Ana

* I guess both the welfare and the English-as-official-language bills are just the beginning of the next GOP revolution. No more Little Tokyo, Chinatown, etc., in the future. Just anti-foreigners and minorities in this country. I just worry about a further impact on people from all over the world. America is not the source of their inspiration for freedom, democracy and justice anymore.

The GOP probably forgets about the share of the world that makes America so great. They maybe think that the U.S. economy can be run by themselves. They want to stop exporting and importing anything to or from other countries. They are so arrogant. Let history prove it!

ROY FIRMANSYAH

Cerritos

* Re your editorial, “Bad Law in Any Language,” Aug. 2:

Not long ago I picked up the pamphlet from the INS that gives the requirements for citizenship. On Page 15 it states, “ .J.J. an applicant for naturalization must be able to speak and understand simple English as well as read and write it.” It would appear that the understanding of English by a citizen is the responsibility of the citizen and not the responsibility of government agencies.

I have been waiting in vain for The Times to tell us what legal immigrants and naturalized citizens in Japan, France, etc., receive from those governments in the way of welfare and everything printed in 57 languages.

JOHN H. STEVENSON

San Marino

* How can anyone reasonably participate in this country’s politics if their understanding of the issues is limited to discussions in a language other than English? It’s confusing enough for English speakers. Immigrants who do not comprehend English are not going to hear the candidates directly, nor hear or participate in the same discussions English speakers do. I suspect that many leaders of immigrant groups and owners of foreign-language media want to keep it this way.

Unless needed for employment, it’s got to be easier for Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and Iranian speakers to stick to their own languages, and there is a lot of local radio and TV catering to those audiences. Reliance on non-English sources for entertainment, news and sports--and ballots--can make learning English a bothersome and unneeded option, and keeps segments of our population divided.

MARK DAVIDSON

Costa Mesa

* The English-only bill is un-American! How can we have “freedom of speech” without freedom of the language it’s spoken in? House Speaker Newt Gingrich points to Canada as an example of the strife that can result from dual languages. He seems to have missed the point that this strife is occurring in Quebec, which has mandated the use of French as the “official language.”

RONALD G. ROWE

Moorpark

* I find it very interesting and just a bit hypocritical that the many Republicans who are prattling on about the need for less government interference in our lives are the same ones pushing through unnecessary legislation like English-only and lecturing us on which “morally incorrect” movies, TV shows and music they think we should be avoiding.

BRENT ANDERSON

Studio City